


Tired and True

by L3t_U5_D0_That_Aga1n



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Crack, Don’t copy to another site, Linked Universe Adjacent, Pre-Calamity Breath of the Wild, Sharing a Body, Wind is a sailor and swears like one, it came to me in a dream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29315592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L3t_U5_D0_That_Aga1n/pseuds/L3t_U5_D0_That_Aga1n
Summary: Link (all of them, really) needs to learn to keep his big mouth shut.
Comments: 22
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

Familiar Faces

**The Legend of Zelda and all related media are property of Nintendo.**

/+/+/+/+/

Link blinked, turning around to find himself in a white void. Usually, when he dreamed, he was either fighting some imaginary opponent, or reliving the carefree days of his childhood, lying down in a field and staring up at the sky or running around with the Bazz Brigade. This…this was weird.

At least he was wearing his sleepwear.

When nothing changed, he shrugged, walking forward. After a few steps, a wooden door formed from the ground.

This was really weird.

He stopped in front of the door, tilting his head. It was a bare, plain, wooden door. He leaned to the left, looking around the door—to find there was only the door. He knocked on the door—no answer. Finally, he grabbed the handle, pushing it open.

"Surprise!"

Link fell back at the cacophonous cry, eyes going wide. Somehow, the door lead to some sort of island. An island populated by a lot of Hylians. A lot of Hylians that looked a lot like him. Surrounding a giant cake with the words 'Our Condolences' on it.

One of his doppelgangers, wearing a pair of tan pants and a blue shirt emblazoned with a white lobster, walked forward, face split into a wide grin as he said, "Ha! He fell on his ass! Pay me bitches!"

"Damn it!" someone shouted from the sea of blondes.

The first double snickered, holding a hand out, "Hey Link, nice to meet you! I'm Link!" Link stared at the offered hand. The other Link grunted, "Not a talker, huh? You'll get over it!" He grabbed Link's arm, hoisting him up and dragging him through the door. "Hope you like the location—last time we were in a treehouse and, let me tell you, it smelled."

"Ah, fuck you."

"He's right, it was rank."

"Fuck you!"

"W-What the hell is this?" Link gasped, staring out into the sea of blonde Hylian.

"Hey!" the lobster-shirted doppelganger laughed, "He does speak!"

"This," a double—wearing a green tunic over a long-sleeved brown shirt—broke out from the crowd, "is a party in your honor."

"…Am I dying?"

"At the moment? No," the double shook his head. "And for the next few months, at minimum, you won't be at risk of doing so…Probably."

"Probably?!" Link parroted.

"Ah, don't worry about it—although if you do die, it'll probably wreck space-time. We're hardcore like that."

"…What?"

"It's like this," the double stepped beside Link, draping an arm over his shoulders and leading him forward, "You, my friend, are the current era's Chosen Hero. Our latest reincarnation."

"Me?!" At his double's nod, Link asked, "Why?"

"Because Hylia is a thirsty bitch with a very specific type."

"Hylia…the goddess, Hylia?" That raised a whole host of questions, but his double barreled on.

"Yup!" the double cheered. But when they arrived at the cake, he lost his happy guise, "Look, you know about, what are they calling it now, the Calamity?" Link nodded. "Well, that's has been going on for a long time."

"Ten thousand years, right?"

The double huffed, "Try since the beginning of creation."

Link stepped back, eyes wide, "Wha—no…no th-this is crazy!" He looked out at the sea of doubles. They were all somber as they stared back at him.

Another double stepped forward—this one wearing a white shirt under his green tunic. "The stars have aligned in a very specific way—one that demands a Hero rise up and combat the forces of evil. That you," he placed a hand on Link's shoulder, "rise up and combat the forces of evil."

Link shook his head, "B-But I'm not—"

"None of us were," the man said with a gentle smile. "But we all rose to the occasion regardless. And so shall you."

Link stepped away, "How?"

"By being yourself and believing in your strengths."

Link still felt lost, but the warm smiles sent his way—smiles that weren't just empty gestures or confused politeness—eased his thundering heart. There was true empathy in their eyes. He was lost, but for the first time in a long while, he wasn't alone. He ran a hand through his hair, "So…what? Are you all here to teach me?"

"If only," the double chuckled. "Yours is a long, arduous road. We," he spread his arms wide, "are here as a bit of…mercy, I suppose. To show that you are not alone. That you are another member of a long and proud legacy. The latest link in the chain." Link sent his double a flat stare.

"Booooo!"

"That was terrible!"

At least he wasn't alone in his thoughts. The benefits of reincarnation, he supposed.

"I don't hear any of you coming up with anything better!" the double shouted back at the crowd, eliciting a round of laughter. "Ah, enough of this melancholy! This is a party! Let's eat!"

"Finally!"

"Thought he'd never shut up!"

"Get on with it!"

"Yeah, yeah," the third double rolled his eyes. He pat Link's chest, "Hold out your hand." Link arched a brow but raised his left arm.

"Ha! A lefty!"

"Oh, enough with that!"

"Ah, is the righty gonna cry?"

Link stared out as the beginnings of a brawl rumbled through the crowd. "Uh…I'm ambidextrous."

"We all are," the second double popped up beside Link, "they're just idiots. Focus on your hand." Link opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it.

He stared at his left hand. A blue orb of light formed at his fingertips, and Link stared wide-eyed as it spread out in the shape of a sword. He recognized it—it was the Sword that Seals the Darkness.

"Ha! The Master Sword! Pay me bitches!"

"Damn it!"

"Why do we take bets with you!"

"Cause you're all a bunch of idiots!"

Link ignored the budding argument—were they (he?) always so argumentative?—staring at the mystical blade. He looked back up to the two doubles, who were smiling at him, gesturing for the cake. Link gawked, "Wait—you want me to cut a cake with the Sword that Seals the Darkness?!"

"It's completely disrespectful!" a voice shouted from the crowd.

"It's not like it's the real thing," the taller double shouted back.

"Although," the shorter one rubbed his chin, "the real thing would probably love being surrounded by us and covered in cream."

Link and the taller double stared at him, though while the former was confused, the latter looked disturbed. "…You're disgusting," the other double groaned.

"Yeah, well, I'm also you," he sneered, "so what does that say?"

"Can one of you fuckers cut the cake?! We're starving here!"

"Better do it," the tall double said, "You do not want them to riot."

All Link could do was chuckle, perhaps a bit hysterically, stepping forward to the cheers of the crowd.

/+/+/+/+/

Link let out a sigh, "I can't believe there's still some cake left—we all had thirds!" Most of his past lives had left to…wherever they usually were when they weren't celebrating the rise of darkness. He'd exchanged at least the bare minimum pleasantries with all of them, but the first three he'd talked to—who, for ease of use, told him to call them, in order, Wind, Legend, and Time—stuck close to him.

"It's not real man," Wind said, lying down on the sand, "the lines between reality and dream blur within this place. Real, and unreal. Truth, and lie. All mixed together in the grand joke we call life."

Link and the other two stared down at Wind. Finally, Legend asked, "Are you high?"

Wind let out a bark of laughter, "You think if I had any drugs, I'd waste them with you fuckers?"

"True."

"You know," Link ran a hand through his hair, "for heroes of old you're all a lot more…spirited than I'd imagined."

"Aw," Legend cooed, "are we crushing your childhood dreams?" Link nodded a bit, and Legend clicked his tongue, staring out at the sea. "…Well, I suppose that once you stare true evil in the face, and process it all, things like propriety and censorship…stop mattering."

Link hummed, staring down at his hands. "I…I can't really imagine that."

"You don't have to," Time chimed in, "You'll live it."

Link nodded, "…I don't suppose I'll remember any of this when I wake up."

"You will not," Time shook his head. "Not consciously, at least. But this lightness you feel within your breast will linger within you. And when the darkness reaches its zenith, when you are alone, when it feels as if the entire world seeks to destroy you," he pressed a hand against his chest, lips spreading into a soft smile, "that light within you shall burst to life, and carry you forward."

Link blushed, managing a sheepish smile back.

Legend and Wind were much less subdued. And polite.

"Listen to this fancy fuck!"

"Throwing around words like 'zenith'."

"Well," Time shrugged, "I was raised by a god."

Link drew back, eyes wide. Wind blew a raspberry, "Don't throw your fucking pedigree at us!"

"Look at him," Legend huffed, "thinking he's better than us."

"So long as we're all in agreement."

"I will shove a fire rod so far up your ass flames will spew out of your nose!"

"I'm sorry," Link cut in with a breathless laugh, "what was that about a god?"

"Hey look," Wind sat up, "it's your exit." Link, despite his (in his opinion) pressing questions, turned around. Indeed, the same door that brought him to this strange place had reappeared.

He rose to his feet with a sigh, "Guess it's time for to go, huh?"

"Yes," Time nodded. "I suppose that you could stay, if you wanted. But we have our own afterlives to get back to, and while I'm sure you appreciate your privacy, being stranded on a barren extra-dimensional island doesn't sound very appealing."

Link smirked, "Not really." He walked over to the door, but before he opened it, looked over his shoulder, and said, "Thanks for this."

Legend shrugged, "Thank the guys that fucked Hylia until she finally broke down and agreed to do this—well, asked the Golden Goddesses to do this. Why couldn't we just do that ourselves?"

"As if Hylia would let an opportunity to live out her deepest fantasies pass through her fingers." Wind scoffed. "Hey, is she still trying to get in your pants?" Link blinked, eyes darting between the three.

"Trying and failing," Time replied.

"Redheads for life!" Legend cheered, fistbumping Time.

Link chuckled, "Is it weird that I both want your help and can't wait to get away from you people."

"It's a common thought among you first-timers," Wind replied.

"And if we could do more than this," Legend sent him a soft smile, "trust me, we would."

Link smiled back, sending them all one final wave before walking through the door, blinded by a sharp golden light.

/+/+/+/+/

Link awoke with a jolt. He hated the travel back to the afterlife. It was always so violent and sudden. He assumed it was because Hylia was still miffed that he thoroughly rejected her in favor of a woman that, technically, never existed. Greedy bitch.

Ah, but speaking of.

He rolled over in his bed, "Hey, Love. Missed yo—woah fuck!" He shouted as he rolled clear off his bed, which was a lot smaller than it should have been, and onto the ground.

"What the—!"

"Who was that?!"

Link's pain and bewilderment vanished at the unfamiliar voices. He shot up to his feet, eyes wide upon seeing that wasn't in a straw hut, but some sort of barracks, bleary-eyed men and women staring at him.

"…What the fuck?" he whispered with a trembling voice.

/+/+/+/+/

"Thank you escorting me, Zelda, but it really isn't necessary."

Zelda smiled, "Oh, it's quite alright, Mipha. I've been needing a break today." She looked over her shoulder with a playful smirk, "And walking is much better than just sitting around."

Impax's lips quirked up, "Meditation is not just 'sitting around', Princess. It is a means of centering yourself amidst the chaos of life. Calming down and finding peace within yourself"

"Oh, of course!" Zelda bowed her head, "Do forgive my presumptions." Impa preened. It almost made Zelda feel bad for adding, "It's more like sleeping." Mipha giggled at Impa's indignant huff—not that she could hide he mirth in her eyes.

Zelda turned back around with a fond sigh. This…This was nice. With Impa around, she'd never wanted for a confidant, but Mipha was the only other person in Hyrule that she could empathize with her life. With them she could, if only for brief moments, pretend that she was just a normal girl, unburdened by a destiny she could not hope to live up to.

"Princess Mipha," Impa said after a few moments of silence, "remind me, how do you know this Knight…Link, was it?"

Mipha nodded, "We met years ago—his father was also a knight and was stationed at Zora's Domain for a time." She turned her head skyward, scales glittering in the sun, lips spread into a fond, wistful smile, "He was a fairly rambunctious and, frankly, irreverent child. Always getting into trouble. We became fast friends. He had to leave with his father, but we kept in touch through letters, and if possible, he would visit Zora's Domain when his training and duties allowed. I figured it was high time I returned the gesture."

Zelda nodded, "I'm certain he shall appreciate your visit."

"Waking up to a Princess wanting to see him? He better appreciate it."

"Impa!" Zelda whirled around with a gasp. Mipha just looked down at her webbed feet, a blush on her face to match the rest of her body. The Sheikah just shrugged, and Zelda could only hope, for Mipha's sake, that this Link's irreverence was much less pronounced than her own friend's.

"Hey there!" The three young women turned to find the other three Champions—Daruk, Urbosa, and even Revali—just ahead of them. The other three approached them, Daruk saying, "King Rhoam has asked to meet with us."

Zelda hoped she didn't outwardly grimace, "All of us?"

Urbosa smiled gently at her, "Yes, Zelda." The smile faltered a touch, "I believe he may have some…ideas as to how you may reach your full potential."

Revali huffed, crossing his arms, "Don't see why he has to drag us into it."

Zelda tried and failed to hide her grimace. Urbosa and Impa, she was sure, were glaring daggers at the surly Rito. Mipha wore a polite smile on her face, but Daruk let loose a gruff grunt, "Ah, it's not like that!" He pat Revali on the back, nearly knocking him over (Zelda chose to believe that was on purpose), "We're all in this together now! We need to support each other the best we can!"

Revali dusted off his feathers, casting a critical eye at Zelda, "Be that as it may, I imagine that the King has been giving you direction your entire life. It might be time to follow a different jetstream."

Zelda clasped her hands together, looking down at her feet. Oh, if only such a thing were possible. She'd love nothing more than to abandon her doomed path and follow her scholarly pursuits. But she couldn't—so many people were counting on her. So many lives depended on her. She couldn't just leave them to the wind, to die in the face of the Calamity.

She took a deep breath, "Very well." She turned to Mipha, "The eastern barracks are just down that way," she gestured to the nearest rampart, "just head right once you exit the stairs, you can't miss it."

Mipha looked down the way. She pursed her lips, before turning back with a nod, "Thank you. I'll visit him later today." Zelda managed a shaky smile, grateful for her support, turning around to lead the Champions to the throne room.

Only for a series of panicked shouts and doors slamming open from below to catch their attention.

Mipha, surmising the noises came from her friend's barracks, rushed over the edge of the pathway, staring down. The others followed at a much more sedate pace.

"Gee, what's all the commotion?" Daruk asked.

"Perhaps some sort of emergency drill?" Urbosa replied, leaning on the stone railing.

"I…I don't think so," Zelda said, staring down at the barracks. "In all my years, I've never heard a commotion as raucous as this." At that moment, the most likely source of the commotion burst out into the open. A young Hylian man with long, dark blonde hair stumbled forward, holding a steel shield close to him, his fellows both giving him a wide berth, and following closely.

"Oh my, Link?!" Mipha cried. She clasped her hands over her mouth, eyes growing wide as he stumbled into the field. Zelda blinked, staring down at the famous Link—he was rather young for a Knight.

"Looks like someone had a bit too much fun," Daruk chuckled.

"How unsightly," Revali sneered.

Zelda frowned at Revali's words but couldn't help but agree. Hylian Knights had standards to uphold.

"No," Impa peered down at the young man, "that's not it."

"You see it too?" Urbosa replied.

"See what?" Zelda asked, looking between the two.

"Link…he's not drunk or anything, he's distressed." Zelda blinked, staring down at Link. Indeed, now that he was in the light, she could see that he wasn't moving like a drunkard. He was coherent enough to shove off his fellow knights when they tried to grab him. He eventually stopped in the middle of the field, kneeling down and stabbing the shield into the dirt.

He leaned down, no doubt observing his reflection. He ran his hands all over his face, through his hair. He pat down his body—Zelda couldn't help the surprised yelp that burst through her lips when he tore off his shirt and ran his hands over his bare torso.

"Yeesh," Daruk grimaced, "what happened to him?"

"Some kind of nightmare?" Impa queried.

"If so," Mipha said, eyes glued on her friend, "this is much worse than anything he's ever mentioned."

Link eventually stopped moving, staring down at his hands. The men and women surrounding him started muttering, pushing each other forward. When one finally advanced—not by choice, given his glare at his peers—Link moved once more.

He shot to his feet, lifted his head to the sky, and bellowed, "FUCK!"

The air seemed to still, the soldiers surrounding Link rearing back, and Mipha let out a high-pitched gasp. Link clenched his fists, shaking them in the air, "I was just being nice you Great Golden Assholes!" He dropped his hands to his side, turning around and shoving past his stunned audience, slamming the door to the barracks shut behind him.

Zelda, Impa, and the Champions stared after the young Hylian, only returning to life when the other soldiers tried, and failed, to open the door after him.

Revali broke the silence first, "Well…that was a fun little diversion." He clapped his wings together, "But as fun as watching Hylians devolve to madness is, I suppose we should—where'd Mipha go?"

Zelda turned, blinking at the empty space where Mipha once stood. "Woah," Impa said from beside her, "didn't think Zora could reach those speeds on land." Zelda looked down, shocked to see that Mipha was steadily pushing her way through the mass of people crowding around the locked barracks.

/+/+/+/+/

**A/N: This isn't compliant with Age of Calamity. Nothing against the game, but I don't want to deal with it (well, most of it). Just know that in this story, the Champions have been informally selected, but Link as not yet been singled out at the Hero. Also, drawing some inspiration from the Linked Universe AU for names and some personality traits, but not much. Anyway, be sure to leave a review. Later.**


	2. Chapter 2

Flipping the Script

**The Legend of Zelda and all related media are property of Nintendo.**

/+/+/+/+/

"Link, buddy! You need help man! Unlock the do—"

"Shut the fuck up!" Link shouted at the door, shoving a bed against it for good measure. The shouts and knocks grew more incessant, but he ignored them as he slid down to the ground, clutching his head. What the actual hell was going on?!

" _That's something I'd like to know as well_ ," a familiar voice said from within his mind."

" _Me too_!" another familiar voice cried

" _What the hell is going on_?!" a less familiar voice shrieked.

"Gah—dammit!" Link pressed his palms against his temples as his mind was assaulted by voices. "Shut up!" The voices stopped. He took a deep breath, "Okay, who's…here, I guess?"

" _Me_ ," the Hero of Time called.

" _Me!_ " the Hero of Winds cheered.

" _Get the fuck out of my body!_ " the original owner of the body shouted.

"Careful," Link chuckled, "you might burst your own eardrums."

" _Don't laugh! This is a serious situation_!"

" _He's right, this isn't the time to laugh_ ," Time admonished.

" _And can a mental screech even pop the physical eardrums_?" Wind pondered.

"If you believe hard enough, they will," Link said with a shrug.

" _Stop talking about ears!"_

"Hey, they're your ears, Ori."

" _All the more reason to—What did you just call me?_ "

"Ori," Link repeated. "You're the original owner of this body, hence, 'Ori'."

" _I…I have a name though. It's Link."_

"Yeah," Link nodded, "but it's my name too."

" _It's my body!"_

"You're not currently using it, ergo, you don't get the name."

" _That's not how that works!_ "

" _Actually, Ori, it is_ ," Time chimed in.

" _Don't call me that!"_

Time continued as if he hadn't heard the complaint, _"Whoever's using the body gets the name. At least, that how I've done it._ "

" _You've been through this before_?" Ori gasped.

" _Oh no, the people whose bodies I used were dead. But I figure this is a similar enough situation. A lot less masks, though._ " His statement was met with silence.

" _Man_ ," Wind chuckled, " _your life was fucking weird, even for us_."

" _Oh, I'm well aware_."

" _Can we focus on me?_ " Ori asked, voice hinging on hysterical, _"The guy whose body has three different guys possessing it?!"_

"Technically we're all the same person," Link said.

" _Not the point!"_

" _Ori's right_."

" _Stop calling me that!_ "

Wind ignored him, " _We should figure out how to fix this. Don't know about you all but I've got a lovely wife waiting for me back home that gets…irritated, when I leave her waiting."_ He voice dropped into a playful growl, " _Of course, the make-up sex is just tops!"_

" _Sweet Farore."_ Time groaned, _"you can be positively disgusting_!"

Wind huffed, _"Oh please! Like any of you weren't just as horny when you finally figured out how it all worked!_ "

" _Perhaps, but the rest of us understand the meaning of the word decorum!_ "

" _Repressed prude!"_

" _Oversexed gremlin!_ "

"Guys!" Link shouted. When the two fell silent, he said, "I think you're scaring junior."

Ori let out a strangled gasp, and if he had a body, it'd be pale and wracked with shivers. _"H-How the hell did you people save Hyrule_?"

" _I actually ended up helping destroy Hyrule at the end of my first adventure_ ," Wind replied, melancholy replacing his previous anger.

" _I started my journey by euthanizing my father when I thought I was saving him_ ," Time said. " _At times the only thing that kept me going was his dying wish to save the land_."

"Same here," Link shrugged, "Except it was my uncle, and I found him bleeding out in a sewer beneath Hyrule castle in the middle of a storm."

" _Oh_ …" Ori trailed off. _"That's…I'm sorry_."

"It's fine, kid," Link waved a dismissively, "It was ages ago." He rose to his feet, popping his back as he stretched, "Now shush! I want to try something." He closed his eyes, concentrating on his soul. He could feel it, resting within his borrowed body. But it was…heavier than it should have been. Connected to the other Heroes' souls. He tried to use his (admittedly limited) magical prowess to separate his soul. When Time and Wind realized what he was doing, they attempted to help him (Ori didn't appear to have any magical ability as of yet). Alas, all it did was cause them no small amount of pain.

"Okay," Link groaned, pressing a hand against his chest, "that didn't work. Looks like we're stuck like this—sorry about that."

" _Why're you—oh, right_."

" _See, this is what happens when you act all nice!"_

" _Wait,_ " Ori grunted, " _is that a thing spirits can do? Unintentionally bind their souls together based on temporary goodwill?"_

" _No_ ," Time replied with a chuckle, _"the dead are capable of a great many things, but not something a grand as this. Gods, on the other hand_."

" _A god_?" Ori parroted. " _Like…Hylia?"_

" _This does seem like something she'd drool over_ ," Wind said. " _But she doesn't like messing with her established system."_

" _This is more likely the work of the Golden Goddesses themselves,"_ Time continued. His voice dipped into a growl, " _Din especially is fond of little…pranks_."

" _So…"_ Ori drawled, clicking his nonexistent tongue, _"pray to them?"_

"That won't work," Link shook his head. "Outside of the occasional proxy, they don't interfere with the world."

" _And when they do things get…fucked._ " Wind added lamely.

" _Then…what do we do_?"

"Normally," Link rolled his shoulders, "you'd wait around until something happened to force and or dupe you into saving the land from whatever evil's lurking around." He let the statement hand between them before smirking fiercely, "But since we're clearly going off-script, I think it's safe to say we can skip a few steps."

" _How_?" Ori asked. " _Finding the Blade that Seals the Darkness?"_

" _It's called the Master Sword_ ," Wind corrected him, " _And yes. There might be a couple other things we have to do but knowing where the Master Sword is will take a load off of our backs._ " He paused, " _You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you_?"

Ori hummed, " _There's tons of legends about its resting place."_

"Any of those legends include a temple or forest?" Link asked.

"… _There is the Lost Woods to the north_ ," Ori replied, _"Said to be home to a whole host of nasty spirits that ward away explorers."_

"It's there," Link said in tandem with Time and Wind.

Ori grunted, _"How do you know_?"

"It wouldn't be the first Lost Woods to house the Master Sword," Link said.

" _The Master Sword is rather selective,"_ Time continued, _"even among magical weapons. A forest that turns people away would make an excellent hiding place_."

" _You make it sound like its alive_."

Link clicked his tongue, "Sort of? Comatose might be a more apt description."

"… _Do I want to know?"_

"Eh," Link shrugged, "It's a cute story."

" _It's the origin of this damnable cycle we're all trapped within_ ," Time groused.

"And it's a cute story," Link repeated. "Besides, it's not the sword's fault."

" _Bitch about it later,"_ Wind cut in. _"We're heading north. What about after—aside from killing this Calamity thing. Also, how much you wanna bet it's just Ganon again?"_

" _Who?"_ Ori asked.

"Later," Link answered. "And that's a sucker's bet."

" _Pussy_."

" _Ori_ ," Time began.

" _I still don't like that name_."

" _Too bad, you're stuck with it—Can you think of anything else that may help us on our journey? Tales of special items or magics?"_

" _You mean the Divine Beasts?"_

"What're those?" Link asked.

" _Giant machines in the shape of animals, created by ancient Sheikah."_

"Huh…" Link hummed, "Those sound…familiar."

" _I'd imagine_ ," Ori said, _"a past Hero used them ages ago to—"_

"Oh!" Link snapped his fingers. "Right, those things! I remember one of us talking about them!" He chuckled, "Well, never mind then."

" _Moving on_."

" _Fuck that noise_."

" _W-What?"_ Ori stammered, _"What did I say?"_

" _These Divine Beasts were used to halt evil once before, right? The same evil that threatens the land?"_ Time asked.

" _Yeah_."

" _Then it won't work again._ "

" _What?"_ Ori sucked in a breath, " _B-But we've spent so much time excavating and restoring them. And the other ancient machines_!"

"And at best they'll only tickle the Calamity," Link replied.

" _At worst this Calamity will twist it to its advantage,"_ Wind added.

"… _Champions have already been chosen to pilot the Divine Beasts_ ," Ori whispered in fear.

" _Champions_?" Wind parroted.

" _Sounds like another word for 'Sage_ '."

"Ah," Link nodded, "You mean fresh corpses."

"… _What_?" Ori said, voice grave.

" _A consequence of this little game we're forced to play_ ," Time said, a hint of wariness in his tone, " _Barring a few exceptions, those that offer their direct aid to our cause end up dying along the way, lingering just long enough to assist us in ending the latest threat before fully passing on._ " Time chuckled mirthlessly, " _They are born to die_."

Ori was deathly quiet. One of these so-called Champions was a friend of his, then. After a moment of silence, Link felt something spread within their conjoined souls. He recognized it—dread mixed with fury.

Finally, Ori spoke, voice like steel, "… _What else would we need besides the Master Sword?"_

" _Possibly Light or Silver Arrows."_

" _And how do we get those_?"

" _Light arrows are typically gifted by the current Princess Zelda_." Ori sucked in a breath. " _What's the matter_?"

" _These Golden Arrows…they're magic?"_

" _Yes_."

" _Then I don't think we'll be able to get them."_ Ori paused, before saying, a touch guiltily, " _Princess Zelda is…infamously inept when it comes to magic."_

Link arched a brow, "Really? She's around your age, isn't she?" He felt Ori nod. "Weird…most Zeldas have at least a passing grasp on their powers by now."

" _Not this one_."

"Then we either hope we luck upon some Golden Arrows hidden in Hyrule or seek out Great Fairies to get our hands on Silver Arrows," Link said.

" _Before or after we get the Master Sword?"_

"After," Link replied. _"_ Great Fairies are fickle, but they'll be more likely to listen to us if we have the Master Sword _._ "

" _Get me an Ocarina and I can guarantee their support_ ," Time added.

" _Or just charm them with your good looks."_ They grew silent at Wind's declaration. " _What? We're physically based off what a goddess thinks is attractive; in other words, we're hotter than the goddamn sun._ "

"… _He's not wrong_ ," Time reluctantly agreed.

" _Let's focus on getting the Master Sword,"_ Ori declared.

"Agreed!" Link said with a grin. "Now, let's get packing!" He clapped his hands together, scanning the barracks. His grin widened to cat-like proportions when he spotted several loose wallets.

" _What are you doing?"_ Ori asked.

"Stealing," Link replied, taking the largest wallet and stuffing it full of Rupees.

" _It's the quickest way to turn a profit_ ," Time added.

" _And it's super easy—world's filled with saps!"_ Wind cheered. " _Wait_ ," his voice dropped, bordering incredulity, " _you don't…have a problem with it, do you?"_

" _I didn't say that_ ," Ori huffed, " _But do you have to be so obvious about it? I've had a great system going for months and you're screwing it all up!"_

Link froze, before breaking out in a raucous laugh, "Ha! I knew I liked you, Ori!"

" _I'm gonna be stuck with that, aren't I?"_

" _Unfortunately, Ori."_ Ori grumbled, only speaking up to direct Link to more lucrative goods.

/+/+/+/+/

Zelda was sure she'd never seen a larger crowd gather in one place within the castle's grounds. At first, it was just the soldiers from the eastern barracks (along with Zelda, Impa, and the four Champions), but soon enough, it seemed every off-duty soldier and servant was joining the crowd, muttering about Link.

Revali scoffed from her left, "All this commotion over a clearly insane Hylian?"

"It's more than that," Urbosa replied, arms crossed over her chest.

"My question is how come no one's entered the building," Daruk said, tilting his head.

Impa cleared her throat, "The barracks were designed to double as defensive shelters—even the windows are reinforced. Short of blowing up a wall, we won't get in."

"Again," Revali huffed, "I ask why make such a fuss over an insane Hylian."

"I'd imagine because of who this Hylian is," Zelda replied. She looked out at the sea of bewildered and worried faces, "He clearly means a lot to a great many people." She looked around, spying a senior knight surrounded by what looked like recruits. She walked over to him, clearing her throat.

The burly knight turned around with a grunt, "Whaddya wa—Princess!" His eyes widened, and he dipped into a bow (hissing at the surrounding recruits to do the same). "How can I be of service?"

"Well, Sir…"

"Mutoh, Your Grace."

"Mutoh," Zelda nodded. "Could you please explain why this…concerned crowd has gathered?"

Mutoh straightened, clearing his throat and crossing his arms, "Well…it's because it's Link." She arched a brow, and Mutoh continued, "I mean…he's a model Knight, Princess. Always follows orders and will go above and beyond them if needed. A bit quiet, but respectable." He shook his head, "Not the kind of guy to stumble outside like a drunk and curse the gods. Or curse in general."

"I see," Zelda hummed, "and you have no idea what could have led to this?"

"No, Princess," Mutoh sighed. "It's so strange. Link isn't the kind of person who you'd think would just…snap like that."

Zelda had to resist the urge to chew on her bottom lip. She shifted her gaze over to Mipha, who had taken to the front of the crowd, frantically beating on the door and calling for Link. Her heart went out to the Zora—crass as Revali was, he was most likely correct in that Link had gone mad. For Mipha's sake, if nothing else, Zelda would see about getting him the best medical care available.

She turned back to Mutoh, thanking him for his time, and went back to the others.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Only to freeze as her father and his honor guard appeared just up the path.

The commotion came to an immediate stop, everyone turning towards the King. He towered above them all (save for Daruk and Urbosa), his stone-cold eyes scanning the crowd. He zeroed in on Zelda, wordlessly summoning her.

She beat down the anxiety pooling in her stomach as she approached him—she wasn't at fault here; she wasn't at fault. She stopped in front of him, bowing lightly, "Father."

"Zelda," he inclined his head, eyes narrowing. "What is going on? Why is there such a loud crowd—which my own daughter and the chosen Champions are a part of—around the eastern barracks?"

She cleared his throat, "There was an…incident, Father. A young knight named Link…" she trailed off for a moment, "…he appears to have had a nervous breakdown."

"Link?" her father arched a brow.

She frowned at the familiarity in his voice. "You know this young man?"

"In passing." Her father stroked his beard, "He was the young man that disabled that malfunctioning Guardian with a…what was it?"

"Pot lid, Your Grace," one of his guard supplied. Zelda turned back to the barracks. That was Link? She'd heard of the incident—she was in Gerudo Town at the time—and of the pot lid, but she'd always assumed it was an exaggeration, and that the knight in question was older.

"Yes, a pot lid," her father smirked, "an impressive display." He shook his head with a frown, "But if Link has broken down as you say…He's still in there?"

"Yes," Zelda nodded, "He's locked himself in."

He grunted, "Our own defenses used against us…Well, I'd say this has gone on long enough. Whatever madness has overtaken him, I'm certain he still has enough mental faculties to recognize a command from his King."

He marched down the path, the crowd quickly parting in his wake. It was times like this that Zelda realized just how out of her depth she was—not just with regards to her supposed magical abilities but being a leader. Her father made it look so easy. Even her mother, from what little Zelda could remember of her, could bring a hush over a crowd within seconds of entering a room.

King Rhoam stood in front of the door, even Mipha—despite her obvious concern—giving him a wide berth. He took a deep breath, drawing up to his full height in preparation of a bellowing proclamation.

Only to be brought up short by Link opening the Barracks door. Zelda narrowed her eyes as he stepped out into the open. He was wearing plain leather armor under a dark green cloak, various pouches strapped onto his belt and across his chest. Peeking out from his back, Zelda could see the outlines of a sword, shield, arrow, and a fully stocked quiver of arrows. Just where did he think he was going?

Link stared up at her father, blinking. Silence reigned, until her father regained his bearings. "Sir Link," he said, a low growl rumbling from his throat, "what is the meaning of all this commotion?"

Link stared blankly at her father, before clearing his throat. "Uh…So sorry about all of that…mess." That, for some reason, drew a gasp from the crowd. "I just had something of a nervous breakdown."

King Rhoam hummed, "If you would prefer to have this conversation in private."

"Nah," Link waved a hand dismissively, "it's cool. I'm leaving anyway."

"…You're what?" the king said with a breathy, disbelieving chuckle.

"Leaving."

"And why would I allow that?"

"Because I'm the Chosen Hero that will end the Calamity."

Zelda reared back, eyes widening. _What_ did he just say?! Her father (and everyone else, given the loud ring of gasps) was of a mind, though he furrowed his brow and said, "Come again?"

Link rolled his eyes, "I'm not repeating myself." He turned away from King Rhoam, waving at him, "I'll be back after beating down this Calamity thingy. Try not to die before I get back."

"L-Link?!" Mipha finally spoke, darting in front of him.

"Woah!" Link jumped back, "Came out of fucking nowhere!"

"Link," Mipha clasped her hands over her heart, "what's going on with you? Please, tell m—us, what's wrong!"

Link's gaze softened, and he shook his head as he said, "Don't worry. By the time all this is done, you'll look back on this as a…fun day." He sent her a small wave, before stepping past her.

Or trying to, at least. Zelda wasn't sure how it was possible, but he seemed to forget that King Rhoam was fuming right behind him. Until the king roared, "Stop right there!"

But Link just huffed and, without looking back, said, "I'm already wasting daylight."

Zelda didn't think her shock and horror could grow any higher. She'd never, in both life and her research of history, heard of a knight dismissing his _king_ in such a manner.

Her father's face morphed into a thunderous scowl, but all he did was bark out a harsh command of, "Seize him!"

Though the common knights were rather hesitant—no doubt still dumbstruck by the course of events—his honor guard burst forward in an instant. There was even the tell-tale puff of smoke that heralded the Sheikah bursting around them, the Royal Family's shadows appearing with bows drawn.

Even Impa appeared from the ether in front of Zelda, her blade drawn as she said, "Stay behind me, Princess." But Zelda barely paid her any mind, focusing instead on Link who, instead of panicking, looked almost…exasperated.

/+/+/+/+/

The world seemed to slow as a variety of sharp objects were aimed at Link. He could feel his blood growing hotter, his muscles begging to move. To act. To fight.

If it were his own body, he might have heeded its desires. Instead, he conferred with his peers.

" _What the fuck are you doing?!_ " Ori screamed in Link's head.

" _Well he's trying to do our job_ ," Wind replied.

" _You're committing treason_ ," Ori barreled on as though Wind hadn't said anything. " _You're going to get me thrown in the dungeon. I'm going to be branded a criminal!_ "

" _Don't knock it till you try it_ ," Link countered, doing his best not to outwardly smirk.

" _This isn't the time for jokes! Sweet Hylia, why did you act like that?!"_

" _Because we don't have the time nor patience to play by the king's whims_ ," Time, ever calm, assuaged. " _Though I agree he could have been more tactful, I think we can all agree the sooner we stop sharing this body, the better."_

" _At what cost?!_ "

" _Any?"_ Wind supplied.

" _Let's not go that far_ ," Link 'said'. He sifted his gaze between the harsh faces of his potential captors. " _…I think I can take them_."

" _Probably_ ," Ori ground out, _"But that'd just make our lives harder than you've already made them_!"

" _If you surrender, we can just break out of the dungeon,_ " Wind supplied.

" _No,"_ Ori replied, _"I've done shifts down there. Escape is impossible."_

" _Doubt it_ ," Link countered. " _Every dungeon has a weakness._ "

" _Not this one_."

" _C'mon man,"_ Wind teased, _"be optimistic!"_

" _Go to hell!"_

" _Summon the Triforce of Courage_ ," Time declared, breaking through their argument.

Link and Wind froze, though Ori asked, " _The what?"_

" _It's a piece of an ancient, powerful relic left behind by the Golden Goddesses when they departed for the heavens. The three of us have all wielded it in our lives."_

" _Yeah,_ " Wind broke from his silence, " _but for all its power, the Triforce doesn't transcend space-time_."

Link drew inward, seeking out the ancient power that he once wielded. It took him a moment, but he could feel it. It was faint, but nearby. Behind him, actually. It didn't take a genius to reveal its resting place. He told the others, _"I don't think the Triforce is ours to call upon_."

" _Neither is this body, yet here we are_ ," Time countered. Before anyone could object, he said, " _Look, worst case scenario, it doesn't work, and we break out of prison_."

"… _Fine_ ," Link nodded, taking a deep breath. He reached deep into his soul, searching for the part of it that the Triforce irrevocably marked. Through their strange, new bond, he could sense that Time and Wind were doing the same. He heard the king shout something, and the guards around him began closing in.

Yet, just as Link was about to call it and start working on an escape plan, he gasped, a surge of lightning blooming out from his soul, coalescing on his left hand. He looked down, and wanted to laugh, but limited himself to a smirk as he raised his clenched fist into the air, divine light streaming from the golden triangles on the back of his hand.

Shocked, and even horrified, gasps rang out around him, the guards backing away, eyes wide. Link paid them no mind, walking through the parting crowd. Though he did pause at the entrance to the rampart, extending his middle finger and saying, "Next time, just do what I say."

He lowered his fist as he entered the structure, letting out a hiss as the Triforce violently ejected itself from his soul. He ran up the stairs, cradling his left hand, "Let's not do that again."

" _Agreed_ ," Time said, sounding winded himself.

" _Let's get the fuck out of here before everyone picks their jaws up off the ground,_ " Wind added.

" _I can never show my face here again,_ " Ori said, voice a mix of despairing and exasperated.

" _You'll be fine_ ," Time replied. "… _Eventually. Now, however, would you be so kind as to give us some directions?"_

Ori was silent for a moment, before grunting, determination spreading through their combined souls, " _Turn into this cave—the third left leads to the stables. I've got a horse. He should be well-rested and ready for a journey."_

Link grinned, sprinting down the cave, "Alright boys, let's get this done quick!"

/+/+/+/+/

**A/N: Given my track record, they will not 'get this done quick'. Be sure to leave a review. Later.**


	3. Chapter 3

**The First Steps**

**The Legend of Zelda and all related media are property of Nintendo.**

/+/+/+/+/

A small part of Zelda couldn’t help but admire Link’s stoniness in the face of her father’s fury. Even if he was most likely in the middle of losing his mind, it was impressive. As the guards started to close in, instead of complying or even resisting, he raised his left hand, a smirk on his lips.

And then the symbol of the Royal Family appeared on the back of his hand, glowing with divine light.

At that moment, Zelda felt a sharp, burning pain deep within her soul. What was it? Envy…No, she’d felt envy before; towards her ancestors that so easily wielded their shared birthright. Towards the men and women who were able to freely research ancient relics. This was different. This…This was rage.

That some insane…nobody could so easily summon what should have been her birthright! What she toiled and grieved for years for! And why? He just woke up one day and decided he was the Chosen Hero?!

Or maybe it was something worse. Her rage vanished, ice flowing through her veins. Maybe...maybe the gods had abandoned her. Perhaps they’d decided that she would never be able to access the Sealing Power and took it away to gift a more worthy vessel. Was that it, then? She’d worked herself to the bone for so long only to be tossed aside?

“Little bird?”

Zelda jolted, both at the pet name and the firm hand gripping her shoulder. She looked up to find Urbosa’s concerned gaze (Impa just behind her, equally distressed). “Wh-What?” she said, wincing at the crack in her voice.

Urbosa, thankfully, just smiled and said, “Your father’s…dealing with the current situation.” Zelda blinked, shocked to see that Link was no longer standing there, mocking her with his existence. Instead, people were running in every direction, heeding her father’s booming commands (she couldn’t help but feel a touch of sympathy for those few individuals that faced his full fury). Urbosa gently turned her face back onto hers, “And one of his guards told us—that is, you and us Champions—to go to the throne room.

Zelda nodded—yes, her father would no doubt wish to…speak with her. She’d have hoped he’d have the clemency to do so in private, but clearly no one regarded her wishes anymore. If they ever had. “When?”

“He wants us to head there now, Princess” Impa said. “He…He might be awhile.”

“Of course,” Zelda stepped out of Urbosa’s grip, turning on her heel, “Let’s be on our way.”

/+/+/+/+/

Everyone was silent as they waited her father in the throne room. Which was great, because Zelda wasn’t up for any conversation. Not that the others were in any mood to speak.

Mipha was by far most sullen (of the Champions. None of them could even dream of reaching the depths of Zelda’s despair). Which made sense, she supposed. Her dear friend had been rather callous with her before causing all that chaos. Revali…he was irritated, of all things. She didn’t know him all that well, but she had a feeling his sour mood wasn’t because of the aversion to high walls common among the Rito.

Urbosa and Daruk were remarkably stone-faced (perhaps not-so-remarkably in the latter’s case). But the former, at least, kept on shifting her gaze towards Zelda, her features softening. She appreciated the concern, but the sympathy just reminded her that she’d utterly failed to attain her birthright.

For once, Zelda was glad her mother was dead. She didn’t want to think about how disappointed she would be.

The doors to the throne room burst open, and Zelda couldn’t stop the flinch that overcame her as her father’s stomps filtered into her ears. Zelda kept her head down, only to slowly peek up as, instead of sitting upon his throne, her father began pacing before them. Grumbling to himself

He stopped eventually, but instead of starting with her, he bellowed, “Impa!”

The Sheikah appeared in a puff of smoke, kneeling before him, “Yes, Your Majesty?”

“I’ve already sent word to your elders and historians, but I must ask, have you ever heard of anything like,” his face creased into a heavy scowl, “…that?”

“No, Sir,” she shook her head, “but I doubt I’d know as much as the elders.”

“…No,” the king sighed, “I suspect you wouldn’t. Dismissed.” Impa vanished back to her hiding spot. “And what of you?” he asked the Champions, “have any of you heard even whispers of such a thing?” One by one, all the Champions said that they hadn’t. “Mipha,” he singled out the Zora Princess, “I understand that you are…friends with Link?”

The young Zora nodded, but frowned, “We are, King Rhoam. But I’ve never…” she grew withdrawn, “…Today is the first I’m hearing of all this. He’s never…spoken as such.” The King of Hyrule hummed, turning away from her.

Then, finally, her father focused on Zelda. She braced herself for his rage. But he just stared at her, his gaze softening into something akin to sorrow. Pity. And somehow, that was worse. “Zelda, my daughter” his voice was soft, and that rankled her. Now, of all times, she didn’t want any sort of understanding. She knew his frustrations. She understood them. She could navigate through them. This…she was left floundering in the dark. “I know that you’re…fond of obscure lore. Do they speak of any such events?”

Zelda clenched her fists—the one time her father took an interest in her studies…Still, she knew her answer. “No, Father. The old tales repeatedly espouse that the Chosen Hero is blessed by the gods, but they’ve never hinted that they’d wield the Sealing Power.”

“Did any of these tales speak of how the Chosen Hero identified themselves?”

“No. The legends don’t delve into the origins of the Chosen Hero, merely their accomplishments.”

“Well, if they’re anything like Link…” he trailed off, before turning to address the Champions. “I ask you to return to your homes. As things are, we must assume that Link truly is the Chosen Hero, and therefore the Calamity’s appearance is nigh. Prepare the Divine Beats. Prepare your people.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” the four Champions responded.

“Now, I must speak in private with my daughter.” Ah, now Zelda understood. Her father would grant her a small mercy and berate her in private.

Only Urbosa hesitated before leaving them. When the Champions left, he once again focused on Zelda. But instead of rage, she was once more faced with sorrow. “Zelda,” he said, “I ask again, are there truly _no_ past examples of the Chosen Hero displaying the Sealing Power?”

Zelda grew confused (which was preferably to the squirming feeling his soft gazes gave her). And then, she understood. He wanted to know if a Chosen Hero ever had to pull double duty because one of their ancestors was like her. A failure. Her throat constricted, but she managed to say, “No, Father. And I doubt our family would have allowed records of…such things. Both publicly and even among themselves.” There may have been obscure references kept by lost, rival civilizations. The Yiga would probably lionize such events—which she supposed was something to look into. But within Hyrule itself? Not likely.

“No,” he lifted his head, a breathy chuckle bursting past his lips, “They wouldn’t, would they? Always picking and choosing what to leave behind for later generations. Leaving it up to us to parse through what was left unwritten. Your mother always had far more patience for such things.” He dropped eyes to the ground, looking more vulnerable than Zelda had ever seen him. “She’d be far better equipped to handle all…this.”

Zelda was once more caught flat-footed. Of all the things she’d expected, her father so blatantly admitting a weakness was not one of them. Though she wholeheartedly agreed that things would be infinitely easier were her mother still alive.

Her father wallowed in grief for awhile, before setting his shoulders, casting his face into stone. “Though he is obviously mad, there’s little doubt in my mind that Link is the Chosen Hero. That power…It’s been years, but I recognize it. It truly is the divine power of our line.” And there it was. Zelda was going to be dismissed. Her father’s voice faded away as she imagined the rest of her life. Locked away until she was needed to continue the line. Or perhaps her father would show her another mercy, and wed another woman, hope for a better child. Regardless, she knew than she would be little more than a footnote. A cautionary tale for future royals.

“…You must chase after him.”

What?

“F-Father?” Zelda stammered; eyes wide.

He began pacing once more, “I don’t understand how Link could have possibly gotten his hands on the Sealing Power, but I know that it resides in you. Your mother knew it resides in you.” The conviction in his voice was startling. But Zelda had to wonder; did he truly believe that? Or was he just clinging to her mother’s belief’s, even after all this time? “To say nothing of the fact that he cannot hope to face the Calamity without the aid of the Divine Beasts. No matter what powers he may possess, he can’t be in four places at once.” (At that moment, Zelda recalled ancient tales of Chosen Heroes with the ability to create functioning replicas of themselves—four of them, to be precise. She decided to keep that to herself).

“Find him,” her father continued, “Bring him back here to develop a strategy and, perhaps, learn from him.”

Zelda wasn’t sure that was a viable option—Link had been fairly adamant that he didn’t need anyone’s assistance. But she would rather not be in the castle and catch everyone’s amplified pitying or deriding stares and whispers.

Thus, she bowed, “I shall leave at once, Father.”

He nodded, “He was last seen on horseback, galloping to the north. I suspect he means to search the Lost Woods for the Sword that Seals the Darkness—that is one of its likely resting places.” Zelda nodded—an ancient grove was repeatedly mentioned with relation to the Sword that Seals the Darkness. The Lost Woods was one of the few places her family hadn’t searched in the last few decades. Her father extended his hand, “Go with the…” he trailed off lamely. Indeed, Zelda seriously doubted the gods were at her side. Had since she was a child, really. Nevertheless, she thanked her father, and turned on her heel, exiting the throne room.

Impa appeared at her side the second she passed the threshold. “Princess?” she said, “Are you—”

Zelda cut her off. “Impa, I’ve always counted you as a friend, but please, don’t.” Impa sucked in a breath but did as asked.

The chaos surrounding the eastern barracks hadn’t spread to the rest of the castle. But the air was thick with tension, people hurrying about to perform their duties. Good. Zelda hoped to leave before the gossip chain started up again.

“Zelda!”

Zelda stopped, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before turning towards the voice. She plastered a smile on her face as Mipha approached. “Mipha,” she said, “What is it?”

The Zora clasped her hands together, looking down at her feet. She seemed to find what she wanted, because she looked up at Zelda with a determined frown, “Has your father spoken of what he plans to do with Link?”

Zelda paused, before honestly answering, “My father wishes for Link to be brought back here to further discuss his…status. He’s asked me to do so.”

Mipha nodded, “Then I ask that I accompany you in bringing Link here.” At Zelda’s frown, she quieted, “Link…I’m afraid for him. I’ve spoken with a few of his fellows who were there since the beginning. They say he woke up with a start—almost as if he had a nightmare.” She shook her head, “I fear that this Chosen Hero business may have caused him a great deal of mental anguish.”

Zelda hummed; it certainly caused her a fair bit of anguish! She immediately berated herself—that wasn’t fair. Link had, by all accounts, truly gone mad with the revelation of his divine task. She may be useless, but at least she still had all her mental faculties.

She took a deep breath, saying, “While I would welcome your assistance, what of Zora’s Domain?”

Mipha hummed, “If Link truly is the Chosen Hero, assisting him is an equal task to shoring up my home’s defenses.” She blushed, “And, well, I’ve already drafted a letter to my father informing him of the situation and my intentions.”

Zelda and Impa exchanged looks—Mipha really wanted to help. She would probably go look for him on her own if they turned her away. The two nodded at each other, and Zelda turned back to Mipha, saying, “I see no reason to turn you down.”

“Princess Mipha,” Impa bowed her head, “if you would accompany Princess Zelda back to her quarters, I can see about getting us horses and supplies for our, hopefully short, trip.” The young Sheikah blinked, looking up at the Zora, “Er…can Zora ride horses?”

Mipha giggled, “We can. As a rule, my people aren’t fond of doing so—hence why so few Zora venture too far away from a water source—but I’ve learned how to ride a horse.” She tilted her head, “Just ensure that it’s a sturdy animal—I’m heavier than I look.”

“Of course,” Impa nodded. She nodded at Zelda, before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Zelda—long used to the Sheikah’s preferred method of travel—simply waved the smoke away. Mipha, however, was left coughing. “Oh my—I don’t know how you all can stand that!”

“You get used to it,” Zelda replied. She gave Mipha a moment to regain her bearings, before leading her to her room. As they were travelling, Zelda couldn’t help but ask, “Is there anything else about…Link that you can remember? That might help us sift through this chaos?”

Mipha sighed, shaking her head, “No, Zelda. He’s just acting so _different_ from how I know him. I have no idea what he’s thinking. Though,” her voice gained a steely edge, “regardless of all else, I can assure you that Link’s only thinking of how to bring peace to Hyrule.”

/+/+/+/+/

“ _Man,_ ” Ori said with a breathy chuckle, _“watching your body relieve itself is weird._ ”

“ _Imagine how it feels to watch a body that isn’t your own relieve itself_ ,” Time added.

_“_ Actually doing it has you all beat,” Link countered, climbing atop Ori’s horse and setting it to a steady canter.

“ _Fair,”_ Ori replied, “ _And thanks for not…you know, saying anything_.”

“About what?” He felt embarrassment filter through their shared soul. Ah, right. Ori may have the body of a man (or as close to it as possible), but he was still very much a child in some respects. He chuckled, “You’ve got nothing to worry about on that front, Ori.” More embarrassment flooded their conjoined souls, and Link was positive he started to blush as a consequence.

“ _Trust us_ ,” Wind teased, “ _you’re going to make your future wife very happy.”_

“ _Or husband_ ,” Time added.

“Or neither,” Link shrugged. “I can confidently say that the life of a bachelor can be a fulfilling one.”

Ori grunted, _“Didn’t you say you have a lover? Some redhead?”_

Link’s heart warmed at the thought of Marin. Aloud he said, “That’s…a complicated story.”

“ _I think you meant to say, ‘super fucking weird’,”_ Wind replied.

“That is also true.”

“ _A wife_ …” Ori trailed off. Link and his fellows grew silent. “ _I’ve thought about it, I’ll admit.”_

“Oh?” Link smirked, “Thought about anyone in particular?” Link felt his face flush once more. “Maybe that Zora girl that was so concerned about you?”

Instead of setting off another bout of adolescent awkwardness, Ori’s mood dropped. “ _Mipha,_ ” he whispered, “ _Gods…she must be worried out of her mind.”_ A heat crept into their souls—and Ori’s disgruntled hum told Link he was glaring. “ _What you said to her certainly didn’t help_!”

“Well I wasn’t wrong,” Link grumbled, “Someday, far off in the future, you’re going to look back at all this and laugh.” His lips split into a wide grin, “Probably when you’re recounting this tale to your children.” Link laughed when that finally got his intended reaction.

Time got in on the fun, “ _Just be sure to pick through your stories with a fine-tooth comb. Ended up giving my own children their fair share of nightmares because I was too detailed with my retellings. My wife ended up forbidding me from doing so.”_

_“My wife actually wanted me to be completely honest with our children. Toughen them up, you know?_ ” Wind spoke up. “ _But I never had the heart. I mean, sure, we were pirates—well, we used to be—_ ”

“ _Come again?”_ Ori blurted out.

Wind ignored him, “ _But I didn’t want to drag our kids down with all that shit. They’d have their own problems in the future._ ”

“ _It’s a hard balance_ ,” Time commiserated.

“ _Can we hop back to the whole pirate thing_?”

“Never had kids—which was great, because I never wanted to deal with them,” Link threw his hat into the ring—which reminded him, he needed to find a good hat.

“ _You’re just going to ignore me whenever you want, aren’t you_?”

“Probably,” Link said in tandem with Time and Wind.

“ _It’s amusing to see you bluster about.”_ Time snickered.

The three voices in his head devolved into an argument, leaving Link free to observe his surroundings. The current Hyrule was fairly large, yet empty. He turned around on the saddle—aside from the town directly south of Hyrule castle (both of which were steadily shrinking in the distance) it was mostly empty grasslands and rolling hills. Fairly peaceful, really.

He narrowed his eyes, his mind winding down a darker path. What were the goddesses thinking? Time had a low opinion of Din due to that mess with Ganon and the Twilight Realm, but this was different. It had to be. They wouldn’t stick him, Time, and Wind in Ori’s body because of one errant comment. Or for a lark.

Of course, there was also the question of how Hylia was reacting to all this. It couldn’t have been a very calm reaction. Link wasn’t too fond of her, but he knew that, at the end of the day, she wanted to keep the world safe. And, regrettable as it was, she’d managed to trap herself, whatever form that Demise’s curse took, and their own eternally reincarnating soul in an endless cycle that guaranteed such a thing. A cycle that had just been royally screwed. Maybe she would force herself to appear on the mortal plane and drag the three of them back to the afterlife.

Well, they could worry about all of that after finding the Master Sword.

“ _Hm? Hey, what’s that? To the left?_ ” Ori said after a bit of silence

“What?” Link turned, grunting at a wagon in the distance. “A wagon. It’s stopped, might be—wait, how’d you see that?”

“ _I…I just did?”_

“Sure, but I had to turn to see it.”

Time hummed, “ _It might have been in your periphery, but you didn’t pay it any mind.”_

_“But I saw the wagon in full_ ,” Ori replied. “ _Like I…turned my head? Wait, that doesn’t make sense.”_

“ _Hold on a second_ ,” Wind spoke up. Second later, he clicked his tongue, “ _Was able to turn maybe ninety degrees in either direction before everything went dark.”_

“ _Full field of vision,_ ” Time remarked.

“But I’d have to move my eyes in order to get that full field of vision, right? So, what, you guys can just view things through the full theoretical cone of vision? That’s weird.”

He could feel Time staring at him. “ _…You’re inhabiting your reincarnation’s body, have your soul conjoined with said reincarnation and two previous incarnations, and_ this _is where you draw the line?”_

“…Yes.”

“ _Hey!”_ Ori shouted, “ _Remember the lonesome wagon off in the distance?_ ”

“You want to check it out?” Link asked.

“ _Of course_ ,” Ori replied. “ _Someone might need help.”_

“ _Or it’s free loot_ ,” Wind chimed in. A cold feeling swept through their souls—disapproval, Link surmised. Wind huffed, “ _Hey, stuff is stuff.”_

“He was a pirate,” Link shrugged, leading the horse to the wagon.

_“Again, can you elaborate on that_?” Ori pleaded.

“ _Nah_ ,” Wind snickered.

“ _Ass_.”

Link smirked but kept silent as he drew closer. He frowned, however, when he started to smell blood. Monster blood, to be specific. He slowed the horse, drawing his bow. He scanned his surroundings, noting the half-a-dozen…well, he didn’t know what kind of monsters they were.

“ _Bokoblins,”_ Ori supplied with a dismissive grunt.

“ _Ugh,”_ Wind shuddered (a strange sensation that made Link’s stomach twist), “ _they certainly got uglier since I was alive_.”

_“If any were left, we would have been attacked by now,”_ Time said.

Link had to agree. He lowered his bow, calling out at the wagon, “Hello?” He could just barely hear shuffling from within the wagon. He moved closer, “I’m here to help.” His statement was met with a bow and drawn arrow poking out of the wagon’s partition. “…I’m serious.”

A face popped out above the bow. It was a fairly old Hylian, with a graying black beard and a balding head. He gave Link a once over, before nodding, pulling his bow back, “You’re a knight, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” technically, at any rate.

“Oh, thank Hylia,” the man slumped in relief. He stepped down from the wagon as Link approached, “Name’s Holton. Got attacked by that horde of Bokoblins on my way to Castle Town.” He kicked one of the monster corpses, “Managed to fend them off, but my horse got loose in the chaos.”

Link hummed, “Which way did it go?”

“West.” He stroked his beard, “I can fix up the wagon, but would you mind going and bringing her back? I don’t want to leave my merchandise alone for however long it could take to find her.”

Link turned his gaze westward. “ _What do you think, guys?”_

“ _Let’s_ ,” Ori was the first to reply.

“ _It’ll be easy to find in these plains_ ,” Wind added.

“ _We should probably figure out what she looks like,_ ” Time said.

Link nodded, directing his horse west. “Tell me about your horse.”

“Her names’ Nina—a light brown palomino. Her mane’s done up in a simple braid, and she should still have her gear on her.” He grimaced, “Hope she didn’t push herself too hard—the old girl only has a few years left in her.”

“W—I,” Link hastily corrected himself, “will find her. Just sit tight.” He spurred his horse forward, scanning the horizon.

Ori hummed, “ _You know, it’s been awhile since I’ve done this.”_

“ _You’ll have to be a tad more specific_ ,” Time replied.

“ _Just…ride.”_ A melancholy spread through their conjoined souls, “ _Since I was a boy, my father raised me to be a knight. When I got old enough, he’d put me through countless drills and lessons. Pushing me to be my best._ ” Ori sighed, “ _Pushed a lot of things to the side in order to achieve that.”_

Wind hummed, “ _Did you even want to become a knight?”_

Ori’s reply was swift. And indignant. “ _Of course I did! And I knew what I was getting into!_ ” His anger faded, a sort of calm taking its place, “ _At least…I’d always thought I did…I was born to be the Chosen Hero, right?”_

“ _Yes,_ ” Time replied.

_“And, we all share the same soul, no?”_

“Yeah,” Link nodded, having an idea where Ori was heading.

“ _So,_ ” Ori’s voice shrank to a whisper, _“were any of the choices I made my own? Were my father’s? Am I just…acting out some part in a play directed by the gods? Who am I, even? Who are you guys? Are we even our own people, when Hylia has a direct hand in our creation?”_

“ _Oh boy_ ,” Time groaned.

_“Those are some tough fucking questions, Ori_ ,” Wind said with a weak chuckle.

“Questions you’re not supposed to worry about until _after_ you die,” Link replied.

“ _Well, that’s not really an option, is it_?” Ori spat.

“ _No,_ ” Time hummed, “ _and for that we are sorry. This has become much more complicated than it has to be._ ”

“But we are our own people,” Link replied. “You may not see it now, but even though we’re all remarkably similar, there are key differences between us and the mold we’re cast from.”

“ _Like what?_ ”

Link was about to answer that the biggest indicator was their love lives but stopped himself. Because to say that would mean that they’d have to explain that their original, inherited soul was once lovers with Hylia, who shed her immortal form (for a time) in order to be with him in another life so she could manipulate him into killing an ancient demon. And then that same ancient demon cursed them both with his dying breath, a lingering shade of his hatred forever haunting the two. And Hylia might have taken advantage of that to (in theory) forever entwine herself and her lover for all of time. A trend that Link himself, Time, and a few other incarnations had bucked over the eons.

But explaining all that would…muddle things.

Wind, thankfully, picked up the slack. “ _Hobbies_ ,” he said.

“… _Hobbies?”_ Ori flatly repeated.

“ _Sure_.” Wind, if were able, no doubt would have clasped his hands behind his head, “ _Want to know that we’re not all the same person? Look at what we do for fun. I’m a cartographer.”_

“ _I enjoy fishing,_ ” Time chimed in.

“I like to dig for buried treasure,” Link added.

Ori grew silent. For so long that Link grew worried. But then he said, “ _I like to shield-surf._

Link blinked, “Shield what?”

_“Shield-surf,_ ” Ori repeated. “ _You guys don’t know what that is_?” The trio replied ‘no’. _“Well, it’s where you find a steep enough incline, weave one foot through your shield’s strap, and ride it downhill_.”

“… _You’re serious_?” Time asked.

“ _Yeah!_ ” Ori replied. _“It’s super fun! The wind whipping through your hair, weaving through rocks and other obstacles, jumping off impromptu ramps and soaring through the air—you can even set-up targets and fire arrows on the ride down!”_

“ _Well there you go!”_ Wind cheered. “ _That’s what makes you different—you’re suicidal!”_ Link and Time laughed alongside him, Ori heartily joining them. Link sighed as a warmth spread through their combined souls—one crisis averted.

“ _Well_ ,” Ori paused to catch his breath, “ _I wouldn’t strictly call it sui—oh, shit.”_

Link sat straighter, eyes narrowing, “What?”

“ _On your left, down the hill.”_

_“What is—woah_ ,” Time breathed.

“ _The fuck is that?!”_ Wind exclaimed.

Link turned, shoulders slumping as he spied a familiar, maned centauroid. “…That’s a Lynel, isn’t it?”

_“Yup_ ,” Ori replied.

_“That’s what Lynels look like_?!” Wind shouted.

“ _Yup_.”

_“Shit…I mean, I’ve heard about them, but actually seeing one…yeesh.”_

“Yeah, they’re not fun,” Link deadpanned.

“ _But what’s it doing here?”_ Ori asked, _“This is way too close to the castle.”_

_“The forces of darkness are on the rise,”_ Time intoned. “ _Until the coming crisis ends, they shall only grow bolder.”_

_“Question,_ ” Wind said, “ _Do these things eat horses_? _Because that one’s eating a horse.”_ Link leaned forward, grimacing at the sight of the monster tearing apart bloody bits of a horse’s flesh and swallowing them in one gulp. Wind huffed “ _How much do you wanna bet that’s the horse we’re looking for_?”

“Sucker’s bet.”

“ _Pussy_.”

“ _It hasn’t noticed us_ ,” Time cut in. “ _We can head back to the merchant and get him out of here.”_

“ _No,_ ” Ori declared. “ _There’s always the chance the Lynel will catch our scent and follow us back. Or attack someone else. We need to get rid of it, now.”_

_“Any suggestions?”_ Wind drawled.

Link grinned, sliding off the horse and pulling out his bow, “I was thinking I’d hit it ‘till it died.”

“ _And just where are you going to hit it_?” Ori asked.

Link stopped, “Uh…anywhere I can.”

“ _If it falls on its knees—which it usually does after receiving a hard-enough blow to the face—you can climb on its back and stab it where it’s chest connects with its legs. That does a lot of damage—think a nerve cluster or delicate organ is right under the skin.”_

“Noted.”

“ _Go for the balls!”_ Wind hollered.

_“Monsters don’t have balls,”_ Time countered.

“ _Everything’s got balls!”_

_“Gorons don’t have balls_.”

_“Gorons_ are _balls_.”

“ _…You’re not wrong_.”

_“Can we focus, guys_?” Ori said, on the border of exasperated and aggravated.

“Ah, leave ‘em be,” Link whispered, inching closer and closer to the feasting Lynel, “Not like they can do much else anyway.” And they really weren’t all that distracting—in fact, the two previous Heroes, as opposed to Ori, who was directly conversing with him, were slowly fading out. That would be something to test later.

“ _Wait!”_ Ori said, bringing Link to halt. “ _With the wind as it is, you’re just outside the Lynel’s notice. Get your bow ready, and crouch low in the grass.”_ Link nodded, willing to let Ori call the shots. It was his body, after all.

Just then, the wind shifted, and the Lynel stopped gorging itself, whirling around and sniffing the air. Blood dripped from its maw, it’s dark, beady eyes darting about as it searched for Link.

“ _Steady_ ,” Ori whispered. Link let out a short breath, suppressing the excited shivers running up-and-down his spine. How long had it been since he’d been in actual danger? Felt adrenaline flood his body? Too long. He actually missed it. It should have felt wrong. But then, he was born to fight.

The Lynel had drawn its weapon—a long, sharp spear caked with dried blood. A growl rumbled out its throat like a rockslide, its breath, smelling of raw meat and bile, assaulting Link’s nose. A lesser man would have gagged, he just drew his arrow back a bit further.

“ _Steady_ ,” Ori whispered once more, the Lynel scant feet away. Then, it stilled, before darting its head down at Link, eyes filled with hate.

_“Now!_ ” Ori shouted as the Lynel reared back and roared. Link let his arrow fly, already drawing his sword and running for the monster as the arrow sank into the monster’s nose, making it yelp as it buckled to the ground, pawing at its face. Link ducked under its thick arms, vaulting onto its back and stabbing where Ori directed him to. The monster roared, bucking wildly in an attempt to force Link off, but he held firm, stabbing at its weak spot until it shoved past its initial panic and tried to grab him.

Link slashed once at its head before leaping off of it, pulling out his shield as the Lynel roared, hoofs stamping the ground as it glared at him.

“ _And now the fun begins_ ,” Ori said, determination and excitement mixing within their souls.

/+/+/+/+/

**A/N: Lynels were a fun addition to BOTW. Where the other enemies get boring after a while, I never fail to get hyped when I run across a Lynel. Maybe it’s because of the loot…Anyway, be sure to leave a review. Later.**


End file.
